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Have you contemplated your New Year’s Resolutions for 2018 yet? Most folks want to get healthier, quit smoking or drinking soda, or want to start exercising and lose weight. And you’ve probably been told that all those goals should be pursued under the direction of – you guessed it – your physician. But do you know why?

There are so many options out there. Want to quit smoking? “Use vaping as a substitute,” you may have heard. But studies are showing that vaping is no better (and maybe a little worse) for you than cigarettes. Patches help, but if you smoke with a patch on you can flood your system with nicotine, which doesn’t help with the smoking cessation attempts, and can even impact your blood pressure or heart health! You can take prescription medication, which – at best – has up to a 60% success rate. You still need a prescription for these medications, and smoking cessation programs are most successful under the direction of your physician.

What about weight loss? I remember an old Garfield cartoon where Garfield was thinking, “Diet is just DIE with a T.” Tens of billions of dollars are spent annually on over-the-counter supplements, and there are fad diets galore. But are they healthy for you? There’s a lot of misinformation out there, and people can actually become malnourished while on some diet plans. So, what are you to do? It’s always best to pursue any major health changes under the direction of your physician.

Fitness centers abound, so there’s little excuse for not exercising. And these facilities have fitness experts who can help guide you along the path of what exercise you should apply. But there are situations where excessive exercise can be quite detrimental for people with certain conditions. And therefore (you know this is coming), you should always consult your physician before starting an exercise regimen.

I already told you about the 21 Days That Changed My Medical Career. The 21-Day Challenge weight management program through nutraMetrix worked for me, big-time, as well as for my staff. It will work for you, too, with some guidance from me as your physician. We will target the problems you have, and use either some parts of the 21-Day Challenge, use all parts of the 21-Day Challenge, or we might even use NONE of those strategies and choose to explore other options.

If appetite is a problem, we can use ear acupuncture for cravings and appetite. Are proper food choices challenging for your condition? Our Wellness Coach, Rebekah, can help guide you to the particular foods ideal for YOUR body. What exercise programs are safe for you and your medical conditions? You have your personal physician (Me!) to consult for that.

We are also poised to do ear acupuncture for smoking cessation. This tried-and-true method has far better success rates than any pharmaceutical product of which I am aware. Sure, you can seek ear acupuncture for smoking cessation from other sources. But you are NOT guaranteed a personal physician who graduated from an accredited U.S. medical school, who studied physiology and biochemistry from university professors, and who learned anatomy on a human cadaver. T DPC Clinics you have the dual benefit of a formally-trained physician who ALSO now brings the techniques of Traditional Chinese Medicine to bear on you and your Western health problems.

And just in time for you to make good that New Year’s Resolution, here’s what we’re doing in 2018: If you want to utilize acupuncture (for any purpose), you can add on a Wellness Package to your membership. The “Wellness + Acupuncture” package is $35/month for one person, and $60/month for two or more people on the same membership. This subscription gets you a complete package, with 24/7 availability to BOTH your personal physician and your personal wellness coach! It also includes the cost of acupuncture; otherwise, the Wellness Package is $30/month for one, $50/month for two or more of same membership.

That’s right – for only $35 a month, you can meet your health resolutions head-on and finally have success in 2018. Here’s to a healthy New You!

I’ve finally completed the Acupuncture Course for Physicians through The Academy of Pain Research in San Francisco! With my extensive hours of practice (especially body acupuncture), I am ready to apply all my knowledge for my members! We’ve already had some wonderful successes with it, from healing skin wounds, to treating wrist pain following a fracture, to helping with sleep, to helping with weight loss. Can I help you with your problem? I’ll take a stab at it!

Here’s what I’ve learned through the practice period: it takes commitment. There is no magic bullet, no super pill, no “single-acupuncture-treatment-and-I’m-healed.” The more chronic and complex the problem(s), the longer it will take. But the commitment pays off, big time.

Here is the concept: we have energy pathways throughout our body that communicate with the brain. The brain is truly the engineer driving the complex train system. When there is pain, that means the energy has congested – has an obstruction over the tracks, so to speak. Until the obstruction is removed, the brain will continue to perceive the pain – even to the point that it becomes a habit. The brain is designed to learn, but not “un-learn.” It’s as if the brain gives up on that area, even after the obstruction is removed. Let’s say repetitive movements with one hand or one arm cause the muscles to cramp up. The brain perceives the blockage in the system caused by the repetitive strain on the musculature. If it goes on long enough, even when the muscles are no longer cramping up, the brain will believe there is still pain.

So, how long does it take to create a habit? Behavioral experts say it can be as little as 21 days for something simple, but more like 66 days for something more complex. This is why with longer-standing problems (the longer the obstruction has been on the tracks, so to speak) there is a higher likelihood that pain will continue to be perceived after the obstruction is removed. So is it any wonder – if acupuncture is “re-training” the brain – that in order to achieve true results it may require a couple months of treatment?

I’ve also learned that once a month is likely not often enough, and certainly once a week isn’t sufficient, at least not during the initial phase. The frequency should be at least twice-weekly treatment for 3-4 weeks, followed by a break and then another 3-4 weeks for chronic issues. I have not yet had anyone go for the 9-10 weeks that would encompass 66 days. But I have some dedicated souls who are working towards it.

The Bottom Line? Rome wasn’t built in a day.

Our body is designed to heal itself. But in order to do so, it must have all the right tools. While duct tape and popsicle sticks came in handy for MacGyver, the body cannot effectively run on junk, much less heal itself. It needs good nutrition, sound sleep, and plenty of water – the three things in which I observe most patients to be deficient. If we are trying to heal using acupuncture, but are missing essential ingredients, all the acupuncture in the world will not be enough to get over the hurdle. This is why I recommend members add the Wellness Package to their membership. It helps get the body prepped and ready to address the needs of opening the energy system, in order to create the best environment for healing.

What is Wellness Coaching?

“Wellness” is how you create health through specific practices. A wellness coach takes a holistic approach to your well-being by assessing the Seven Aspects of Wellness. These Seven Aspects include the following: physical, emotional, environmental, intellectual, spiritual, financial and social. Through a detailed analysis of these aspects, the coach and client work TOGETHER to formulate a plan for lasting lifestyle change.

A Wellness Coach is there to help you identify and make the lifestyle changes needed to achieve your personal and health-related goals. They are trained in specific strategies, techniques and methodologies and can provide tools to help in the process of lifestyle transformation.

What should I expect in a coaching session?

During the first session, you will go through a specific detailed questionnaire. This is for me, your coach, to learn about you as an individual. You will be explaining your wellness vision and where you see yourself from one week to five years from now. Once the “what” and “why” is established, you and I will address the “how”. This is done by establishing the potential obstacles to the desired behavior change, and where the strategies to overcome these obstacles are developed. Strengths are also identified and implemented to encourage lasting change.

My job as your coach is to encourage you to achieve your goals, which are made simple and short-lived to achieve the larger, more long-lasting goals. You set realistic and well-defined goals as I hold you accountable to your goals. Through this process, you become more accountable to yourself, and your self-confidence and self-esteem grows with each success. Before you know it, you are making changes that you never thought possible!

In our sessions together, I may utilize some of the following techniques to help in your wellness journey: Auriculotherapy (reflexology on the ear) can help with several things, such as weight loss, smoking cessation, pain management and a great way to relax; Essential Oils, which are also utilized in Auriculotherapy; Education on the uses of Essential Oils for emotional health and everyday use; Stress Management techniques such as breath work, meditation, progressive relaxation and guided imagery may be utilized for stress related issues; Flower Essence may be used as an energy medicine to balance emotional and spiritual imbalances; Energy Work is used to balance any aspect of wellness needing to be addressed; Food as Medicine, using nutrition as a major source of our Qi (Energy), to promote the health of our bodies and give the brain good fuel. Coaching tools such as the Wheel of Balance and the Values Sorter survey are used during coaching sessions to help you identify the areas of change and develop strategies for change that are lasting.

Wellness Package for Members:

For only $30/month per individual or $50/month for a 2+ person membership, you can have unlimited access to your Wellness Coach, including group classes on various topics. You will receive guidance on Food as Medicine, supplements for good health, and your guidance and care will be supervised by your private, personal physician.

Call (573)933-0870 TODAY to add your Wellness Package and get started living your life to its fullest potential!

For a few months now, I’ve been personally using and recommending nutraMetrix supplements, especially the Isotonix product line, due to its superior absorption in the body. When I took time out of my schedule for a day-long teleconference on nutraMetrix products – offered only to health professionals – I learned about the TLS Weight Loss program and the 21 Day Challenge. But before I felt comfortable recommending this program to patients, I wanted to experience it myself. So I discussed this with my staff. Would they join me? Indeed, they would.

Between the three of us, 3 dress sizes (2 of them mine!) and 36 pounds were lost, and some visible body toning was achieved – all in only 21 days. We experienced it together, sharing zits and joint aches during the detox week while the toxins from the so-called “food” we had previously eaten were literally seeping out of our pores. We amazed each other with innovative ways to eat 3+ cups of vegetables in one meal. We kept our Culligan Man busy bringing us bottles for our water cooler. We begged the sales reps to NOT bring any cookies, breads, muffins or Starbucks when they visited our office. We learned about portions, how to fill up on GOOD, genuine food, and the importance of planning and preparing ahead for success. We learned to love water, even though it meant visiting the bathroom much more often. We discussed our cravings, but when the 21 days were over, none of us plunged head-first into any of those things. We’d seen such good success that we didn’t WANT to go back to eating junk.

All of this was very good to learn. But I experienced something that, as a physician, has changed how I approach health and the science of medicine.

For about 15 years, I have been on pharmaceutical blood pressure medication. A few years ago I had to increase the dose. I was then faced with either a) adding another medication to control my blood pressure, or b) switching to a super-strong, highly effective (and expensive) blood pressure medication, though initially at a lower dose. However, I recently had to increase that powerful medication to the highest dose, assuming it was a natural progression due to aging. But here’s what has happened:

Within six weeks of starting on the nutraMetrix OPC formula (powerful, highly-absorbable anti-oxidants), I had cut my high-power blood pressure pharmaceutical in half, but maintained my blood pressure in the 120’s-130’s. Then I started the 21 Day Challenge. Within a week I was lightheaded while standing and had to stop the high-powered blood pressure medication altogether and switch back to the less potent medication. Today is Day 28, and I’m still avoiding processed foods as much as possible, and only drinking one cup of caffeinated drink a day– my Linghzi mushroom coffee! And as of this morning my blood pressure was 112/65.

This experiment of eating right and avoiding the so-called “foods” that I’d been gorging myself on has been largely responsible for my blood pressure improvements. My goal is to be on the lowest dose possible and (hopefully) eventually stop pharmaceuticals altogether. I am aware this will require a multi-faceted approach. But this experience has opened my eyes to the fact that food is medicine, and that THIS is the direction I need to take my medical practice.

As I incorporate Eastern Medicine’s use of acupuncture and its various methodologies, it is important to stress the role of the Qi (energy) entering the body from the food we eat. While the nutritional aspect of medicine was very weak in my medical school training (and non-existent in my residency training), I now need to further educate myself. But I also happen to know someone well, a person whom I respect and who IS trained in Food as Medicine (as well as Wellness Coaching, auriculotherapy, use of supplements and essential oils). So the thought came to me, “Why not bring her on as a member of our medical team to offer Wellness Packages with our memberships?” As I’ve experienced first-hand, patients can benefit from learning how to use the foods they eat, as well as having unlimited access to a Wellness Coach. For a small additional cost per month, our members can now have unlimited access to those services, including classes and group meetings. As our staff learned, making these changes with others is GREAT support and helps keep us accountable.

So, it is with great pride I introduce Ms. Rebekah Anglin as our latest full-time employee at Direct Primary Care Clinics. As part of the Wellness Package that members may add to their memberships at a very low monthly cost, Rebekah will be available some evenings and odd hours, based on the needs of our members and her clients. Call Ann Orr at our offices (417-664-5054) for more information.

By the way, we HIGHLY recommend the 21 Day Challenge through nutraMetrix. But now, you can talk to Ms. Rebekah about the program… in-person, right at our office.

You cannot turn on a television without seeing it. You can’t read a magazine or a newspaper without it being there. It is all the buzz, from Washington DC to Jefferson City to Camdenton City Hall. If you believe the hype, you are now convinced that there is an Opioid Epidemic.

Admittedly, there are patients who do not use their medication but sell it. There are folks who use SOME of their pain medication but share it with others. And there are some who have it stolen from them – either the medication itself from their homes/cars/purses or the paper prescriptions themselves. Saddest of all is when dying cancer patients have it stolen from them by those who are caring for them.

But it may relieve you to know that this is a small percentage of all the folks who legitimately require pain medication to make it through another day of work, or simply another day or night. The majority of responsible patients appreciate what the medications mean to them – salvation from the kind of pain that depresses the soul and that sends them to the edge of the pit, even considering suicide. Right now, we have few weapons in the arsenal against chronic severe pain besides opioid pain medication, and when it is one’s only genuine weapon, one must reach for it.

In search of a better understanding of what pain really is, and how to address it, I have taken the step into an ancient world. With my right foot still firmly planted in allopathic, modern Western medicine – the science and art I was taught in medical school, trained in during my residency training and have practiced for 15 years – I step lightly into the world of Eastern medicine and its 5,000-year-old practice and refinement. I found a course geared entirely to the Medical Doctor – physicians educated and trained like me – which integrates Western with Eastern medicine, also known as Traditional Chinese Medicine.

With our understanding of the Central Nervous System, the concept of meridians and neurotransmitters intermingles and all the cogs fit together to illustrate a beautiful “machine” that is the human body. This course started in April and runs through the end of November this year, and I have studied and learned from my laptop up to now. In July-August, I travel out of state for several intense days of practical hands-on learning. Because we don’t learn everything we need to know from a book or a lecture – we have to PRACTICE.

When I complete this course of training, I will be certified in the Traditional Chinese Medicine Acupuncture method. But I will be no ordinary acupuncturist – because I have the solid medical education and training behind me, with the Paul Harvey-esque “The Rest of The Story” understanding. My hope is that this rounding out of my knowledge will not only help me address the Opioid Epidemic by providing my members with a real alternative to narcotic pain medication, but also help similarly treat a multitude of other diseases and conditions.

I look forward to putting into practice all that I am learning. I hope that you – my members – will benefit from all the hard work involved in learning not only a new skill, but centuries of practice of an ancient art.

“To break down the barriers that currently exist in the patient-physician relationship, to restore mutual trust, and to provide excellent individualized primary health care.”

But how does one “restore mutual trust?”

First, the word “mutual” comes before “trust” in the sentence – not just because of standard English sentence structure, and not just because it is the describer of the noun. Mutual is defined by the Cambridge Dictionary as:

“(of two or more people or groups) feeling the same emotion,
or doing the same thing to or for each other.”

It can also mean holding something in common. This indicates that the trust I will have for the patient must by definition be shared by the patient with me as their physician, and most certainly vice-versa. The patient’s trust in me must be shared by me, the physician. This sounds very simple, since it is the basis for all relationships. But it is a rarity in today’s medical world.

Let’s start with the example of a medical problem, such as hypertension (high blood pressure). The patient often does not know they have hypertension, until their blood pressure is taken. They may not even realize that their recent daily headaches, or the reoccurrence of nagging chest pressure, may both be signs of high blood pressure. But when discovered, it is – or rather, should be – a concern for the patient. It should also be a concern for the physician, and not simply because it falls in their area of expertise. It should create a MUTUAL concern. Now, within their relationship, the patient and physician have a mutual concern. The patient then should trust that the physician has the knowledge and means to help the patient with the problem. The physician should trust that they have the knowledge and motivation to help the patient with the medical concern. But that is not enough to truly constitute trust.

Since I’m into defining for you, let’s see how the Cambridge Dictionary defines Trust:

to have confidence in something, or to believe in someone, or

to hope and expect something is true.

In our above scenario, the patient should have confidence in the physician and believe the physician is working in their best interests. The patient HOPES and EXPECTS something from the physician. In Mutual Trust, the physician also has confidence – in the patient. The physician HOPES and EXPECTS something from the patient in return. I believe it boils down to this: the patient and physician will be on the same page regarding their hypertension, or whatever the real-world medical problem may be.

It is my belief that this mutual trust is absolutely essential to provide the “excellent individualized primary health care” we commit to in our DPC Clinics Mission. If the trust is one-sided – either on the side of the patient, or the physician – and not mutual trust, the delivery of excellent care is impeded. If the patient has full trust and confidence in their physician, but the physician is suspicious of the patient and is confident in only their own medical ability, the physician does not – CANNOT – deliver truly excellent care. If the patient is suspicious of the physician and does not have confidence in the physician’s ability or motivation (even when the physician believes in the patient and their integrity), the delivery of care could well be “dead on arrival.” What is the saying? “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink.”

This relationship-essential atmosphere of mutual trust has been assaulted by a number of outside sources, which I may touch on in a separate rambling. The concept of restoring this precious thing – mutual trust – is part of our Mission. The relationship has been broken, and building it back together like Humpty Dumpty is exacting and can be tiring. It takes effort, and must be done one person, one interaction at a time. Because it is time-consuming, it cannot be realistically accomplished in 10-15 minute intervals with 40 people a day. When you take into account time for administrative grunt work, not to mention the time required for personal relationship-building, you begin to see that time is the primary obstruction standing in the way of restored mutual trust. This is also why Direct Primary Care (DPC) is the best model for rebuilding that relationship – because we have adjusted our time around building relationships, instead of adjusting our relationship-building to fit the time.

By keeping our patient panel – the number of patients for whom we care – purposefully low, we can spend more time with each individual, provide better communication tools for our patients, and work on restoring mutual trust. Our Mission Statement posted in the DPC waiting room. It’s the first thing you see when you walk through the door and – hopefully – it will be the first thing you notice during your interactions with our DPC Clinics team.